We had our chance to sign Hardy, lets not make the same mistakes we made with D. Lo and J. Stew, he has to walk :(

[thunderraiden]

I hate it more than anyone else but since when has paying a player after a contract year big money ever worked out for us? When have we not paid a player big money and it work our for us? Imagine if we were still paying Peppers 50% of our cap space? What if we had Mushin Mohammad taking up a crazy amount of the cap the year Steve took us to the NFC Championship game on his back? What if we had a stud WR right now and a 3rd year running back making peanuts instead of DeAngelo Williams? What about Brent Grimes at CB and another 2nd year RB making even less peanuts at RB2?

My point is, last year was our chance to sign G. Hardy to a managable contract, now we would overpay for him just like the Ravens and we would gimp our secondary, offensive line, and WR position to do it. Instead, lets just bite the bullet and let him walk and fill in the gaps with rookies. I love GQ but before the season was our chance, we missed it.

[Dex]

Lets see what the FUPA can do. But if it comes to a CJ contract then I agree.

[El Chingon]

You may just be right.

[332nd]

I hate it more than anyone else but since when has paying a player after a contract year big money ever worked out for us? When have we not paid a player big money and it work our for us? Imagine if we were still paying Peppers 50% of our cap space? What if we had Mushin Mohammad taking up a crazy amount of the cap the year Steve took us to the NFC Championship game on his back? What if we had a stud WR right now and a 3rd year running back making peanuts instead of DeAngelo Williams? What about Brent Grimes at CB and another 2nd year RB making even less peanuts at RB2?

My point is, last year was our chance to sign G. Hardy to a managable contract, now we would overpay for him just like the Ravens and we would gimp our secondary, offensive line, and WR position to do it. Instead, lets just bite the bullet and let him walk and fill in the gaps with rookies. I love GQ but before the season was our chance, we missed it.

I'd rather work to come to an agreement that would benefit both parties (discount for a shot at a ring, tag & trade, etc.. ) than throw up my hands & quit.

[MHS831]

Hardy is a solid player, but not elite.  He whips the weak sisters and disappears when the T is good.  He was rarely doubled this year, since Star and Luke and CJ commanded attention.  Here is a stat that tells me a lot:

 

Hardy was average to below average through 2011.  However, in 2012 and 2013, he gets 26 sacks (combined)

In 2012, He had 11 sacks, but 6.5 were against 3 teams with terrible problems at OT---San Diego, Chicago, and Washington.

In 2013, he had 10 sacks vs. teams with problems at T--in just 4 games--New Orleans (second game vs rookie), New York Giants (a few fans logged sacks that game), and Atlanta (twice).  Miami had a trainwreck at T and he disappeared.  Staley shut him down, and Kalil in Minnesota shut him down. 

Basically, in the 32 games that Hardy played to get 26 sacks, If you take away 7 games vs. weak OTs (backups, rookies, etc), he gets 9.5 sacks in 25 games.  He can thank CJ, Luke, and Star for the contract he is about to get.

 

This year, he had 0 sacks in games we lost.

 

He is a solid player, but he will not go elsewhere and get 15 sacks.  He is not elite, and he wants to be paid as he is elite.

Love him as a player, but not at double digits.

[Jackofalltrades]

It's just the way the league works, if you want to keep your guys you have to pay them. We've gotten work out of CJ, Smitty, Olsen, Gross, Kalil, etc.

I love Greg an I think he is a cornerstone of our D, but we just don't have the flexibility to take an "at all costs" approach, unfortunately. I want him back, but with the rest of he front 7 I have confidence in whomever we play at his spot if he walks.

[jbland]

Wasn't moose a bear during the 2005 run up to the NFC championship game?

[MHS831]

It's just the way the league works, if you want to keep your guys you have to pay them. We've gotten work out of CJ, Smitty, Olsen, Gross, Kalil, etc.

I love Greg an I think he is a cornerstone of our D, but we just don't have the flexibility to take an "at all costs" approach, unfortunately. I want him back, but with the rest of he front 7 I have confidence in whomever we play at his spot if he walks.

 

We are going to miss him in the run game, but to pay him as an elite pass rusher is something we can't afford. 

 

I go back to the CJ contract, when he was a 1-hit wonder, when Atlanta was the only real threat to us and they were in a cap situation.  He (in my opinion-others disagree) was overpaid by $20m over the life of the contract.  That made it so we could not have 2 DEs on second contracts.

[csx]

There are an infinite number of existing threads regarding this subject.

[Cpt slay a ho]

can't let him walk for nothing..............

[LinvilleGorge]

We either resign him, tag him, or let him walk.  The tag and trade thing is a nice idea, but it rarely ever actually happens.

[davos]

I trust Gettleman is going to make the smart moves from a business and football standpoint.  He's got this.  

 

We'll at least talk to him to see where things are looking to be $$ wise.  Everything is a balancing act and Hurney sucks.  

[t96]

I think we need to go after him and hope he'll take a significant amount less to play here with our bright future. And we may have made mistakes in the past like this, but has Gettleman???

[scarface]